For a child to be enrolled in kindergarten, it is essential to register them in advance. Here are our tips and the steps to take to be on time for the 2025-2026 school year.
When a child is old enough to go to school, his parents must enroll him in a nursery school near their homes. To help you, here is all the information you need to know for your very first school year.
When to enroll your child in kindergarten?
Generally, it is between the months of March and April when registration begins in nursery schools. But some municipalities are starting to register them earlier, from January or February. It is therefore important to find out early, from your town hall, in order to find out the deadlines for registering for nursery school.
At what age should you enroll your child in kindergarten?
Education is compulsory from the age of three for all children, French and foreigners alike. Children aged 2 at the start of the school year can still be enrolled in nursery school, “under certain conditions”, with specific equipment and flexible schedules, specifies the National Education website. Admission is in kindergarten from 2 years old “subject to availability”. It is also possible to open priority places in certain territories: “urban, rural and mountainous areas, in overseas departments and regions and disadvantaged social environments”, indicates the ministry.
Which school should you enroll your child in?
You have the choice between public school or private school. For register your child in public school, you must contact your town hall who will tell you the school that corresponds to your sector.
If you wish to enroll him in a school different from that of your municipality, you must request an exemption from your town hall. In this case, you will need to obtain the agreement of the mayor of your residence and that of the municipality in which the school is located. If you have difficulty registering your child, please note that the Directorate of Departmental National Education Services in your department can help you find a solution.
To register your child for nursery school, several steps to be taken and they are mandatory for the first registration. Before going to the town hall, bring:
- your family record book
- a copy of the child’s identity card or a copy of the child’s birth certificate
- A proof of address less than 3 months old
- A medical document indicating that your child is up to date with his vaccinations (diphtheria, tetanus and polio).
The town hall will then issue you with a registration certificate which contains information on the nursery school to which your child is assigned. To definitively validate your child’s registration, You must then go with your child to the director of the establishment, mentioned on the certificate. To do this, you must present your registration certificate as well as the document attesting that your child has had the compulsory vaccinations for his or her age or has a contraindication. Please note that depending on the municipality, these procedures can be done online.
To enroll their child in school, some parents write a registration request letter not being able to meet the head of the school. This letter must remain above all formal and contain the main information, namely: the first and last name of the child, their date of birth, their place of birth and the subject of your request.
When to send the registration form to nursery school?
In the majority of cases, registration for nursery school must be made no later than June preceding the start of the school year in September. Municipalities generally also specify the deadlines for submitting and sending your child’s registration file.
Good to know: children enrolled in the main nursery section are automatically enrolled in elementary school for the start of the school year of the calendar year in which they reach the age of 6.
Are you planning to move and change your children’s schools to be closer to home? All you need to do is notify the principal of the old school, who will then give you a certificate of cancellation. The procedures remain the same as for first registration for kindergartennamely the presentation at the town hall of your new home, then registration with the director of the new school, to whom you must submit the documents as well as the certificate of cancellation.
For a registration in a private nursery schoolthe stop at the town hall is not useful. Contact the director of the establishment directly, explaining the reasons why you wish to enroll your child in this school. However, pay attention to registration dates since they are generally carried out between the months of September and January for the following school year. If you encounter particular difficulties, you can contact the Academic Inspectorate of your department, who can help you find a solution depending on the situation.
